Oman: Two power plants to be decommissioned next year

Oman’s two power plants totaling a capacity of 731MW will be decommissioned next year.

The power plants that will be decommissioned are the 326MW-capacity Wadi Al Jissi and the 405MW-capacity Al Ghubra power projects.

According to Times of Oman, the natural gas-fired Wadi Jissi power project is owned and operated by the Wadi Al Jissi Power Company and the project will discontinue operation in September 2018. The first phase of the project, which is located in Wadi Jissi in Sohar, started power generation way back in 1982.

The Al Ghubra Independent Water and Power Project (IWPP) is also due for closure next year.

A seven year-outlook report released by Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) stated: “This will reduce to 340MW when the two steam turbines are retired in April, 2018, and all remaining units will be retired on September 30, 2018.”

The report further stated that between 2017 and 2023, the Oman's total contracted capacity of 6,897MW in 2017 will rise up to 8,944MW by 2019, before falling back to 7,394 MW by 2022. The expected fall in contracted capacity is due to a number of contract expirations during the seven-year period.

Prospective contract extensions correspond to capacity that is scheduled to fall out of contract, but that may be offered to OPWP by the plant owner for a new contract term.

OPWP considers such extensions, along with options to contract for new capacity, added the seven-year outlook report.